"We've been doing a good business out of it," said Doug Chalmers, tow truck driver for Twin Lakes Collision in Lewiston, noting business has doubled in recent days. "There have been a lot of accidents, and a couple of people stuck. They can't put salt on (roads) with the cold temperatures and the sand blows right off of it. "

Chalmers operates in a three-county area including parts of Montmorency, Otsego and Oscoda counties.

Roper, with 24 drivers and 24 trucks, said for the winter so far, overtime has been kept to a minimum with the majority of people scheduled to work from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Waiting for temperatures to rise before putting much down in the way of salt, Roper said work started late in the week on lowering snow banks.

"If it's 20 below with the wind chill, we won't put any salt on. Traffic will blow it off," Roper said. "You have to work with the temperatures. When the sun comes out, it does miracles."

According to Cory Chaskelson, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord, Otsego County received just 6 1/2 inches of snow over a 36-hour period Tuesday and Wednesday. That compared to almost a foot in Kalkaska and Antrim counties. The three represent part of the "Big Five," an informal name given to the area - including Crawford and Charlevoix counties - which tend to receive the most lake-effect snow.

"We had a cold front that moved through Wednesday. It brought slightly warmer air, and near-normal temperatures before the front passed through," said Chaskelson. "We usually don't see anything until right before Christmas and right after then; that's when lake-effect snow gets going."

Chaskelson said cold temperatures are expected to continue through the end of next week with another cold front predicted to move through on Monday. Computer models hadn't confirmed Friday just how much snow might be in store. Snow is in the forecast each day through Tuesday. Roper and Chalmers are each keeping watch.

"It's about what it used to be like in the old days when we used to get snow," said Chalmers, who has lived in northern Michigan for 30 years. "The last few years over here we haven't had a lot of snow."